A hptci wnp o



T.v TOSTEViIN. VEHICLE-BODY.

Patented July 10, 1877.

V No. 192,953.

Wihwwew V to so bend them as to form the entire body 'fectly square.

. THOMAS TOSTEVIN, on NEW YORK, 11. Y.

IMPROVEMENT lNIVEHlCLE-BODIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. {192,953,

I June 29,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS Tosrnvrmof. New York city, New York, have invented certain Improvements in Vehicles, of which the following is a specification My invention relates to carriages, whether for children or of the ordinary size; and it consists in forming the entire body of a certain Woven or slatted fabric, described hereinafter, in such manner-that the ordinary springs of steel may be dispensed with, the material forming the body containing within itself all the elasticity needed. I

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows an isometrical perspective view of my invention, and Fig. 2 a section of the same fabric bent into shape to form the entire body and seat. Fig. 3 is a detail view.

In the drawing, A indicates the fabric which I employ. This material is the same as that patented by me upon the 19th day of October, 1875, Patent No. 169,064. It consists of a warp of elastic steel wires, any suitable number of which may be used, with a weft of any suitable fibrous material. These wires, after the fabric is woven, may be bent into any desired shape, and I propose, in some instances,

and seat of a wagon or carriage, in manner similar to that shown in Fig. 2, which shows the dash, floor or body, and the seat, all formed of one continuous strip, with the axles attached at either end without the intervention of springs. Thorough experiment has shown that this fabric, when formed in this way, not only possesses all the elasticity necessary to render the wagon easy, but is durable and of beautifulappearance. It is evident that instead of bending the material, as shown in Fig. 2, it maybe made perfectly straight, or level, like the buckboards in common use, as seen in Fig. 1.

Instead of using the woven fabric seen at A in the drawing, I propose, in some cases, to employ a slatted fabric or material, which is shown at B G. This I make of narrow slats of wood, either rounded at the corners or per- These slats are strung upon a series of elastic steel wires, or they may, if desired, be supported by a series of thin flat steel springs running, like the wires, through I dated July 10, 1877; application filed 1877. r

the slats in small perforations made for the purpose. Or, instead of the wire passing through perforations, staples may be driven into the under surface of the slats and the wires passed through them, as seen in Fig. 3, where d d d indicate staples passing into the under faces of the slats c, with the wires passing through them, while a. b show the slats with wires passing through perforations.

These slats, when placed on the wire, are

eral form of the body, cause the structure to 1 yield readily and with perfect elasticity, as each part'of the whole is as elastic as .any other, the carriage body possesses great strength, and affordsa comfortable, luxurious support to the body. It is evident that, being able, as I am, to dispense with the costly springs usually employed, I greatly decrease the cost of production without taking into account the fact'that the material I employ is itself cheap, durable, strong, and of ornamental appearance. It is also well known that from the material usually employed in carriages the weight upon the springs, being very great, frequently causes them to break, while in childrens carriages, made of wicker or splints, the least injury to one strand causes a speedy disintegration of the whole. In my invention the nature of the material produces a very light structure, possessing within itself all necessary elasticity, and so made that a break or tear in one part, should it occur, will not extend throughout the rest.

while,

In producing the form shown in Fig. 1, I

may form. the dash separately, of the same fabric as that used in the body. In this case, as well as in attachingthe body to the axles, the wires composing the warp are passed into perforations formed in the bar, and may, if desired, be passed completely through and FFICE,

elinohed-at-their .ends upon theunder side, as shown :at in Fig.1, which ShOWSIthBTlIlOd of attaching the dash, but does not exhibit the clinched ends of the wires.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLettersPatent of the United States, is-

1. A body for wagons or childrens carriages, composed entirely of awovenhfabric said fabric being attached directly to the axles,

or fifth wheel' bars, without the intervention I of springs, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. Ahwagon iori=carriagerhody composed;entirely of the woven' or slattedfabric described, attached to the running-gear, and bent into form to compose the dash, floor, seat, and

back in one continuous piece, as and for the purpose set forth.

3% A d'ash -board'for wagons or carriages, constructed of the woven or slatted fabric described-,.as-and for v the purpose set forth. consisting of a warp of elastic steel'wires, with a weft of any suitable fibrous material THOS. TOSTEVIN.

Witnesses:

HAROLD G. Uihmnwoon;

CHAS. G. GOULD. 

